This application relates generally to security systems, and particularly to an anti-theft apparatus and systems configured to deter and prevent theft of articles, such as outdoor air conditioner units, among other items of value.
Precious metals of all types have for some time been the target of thieves. A common example is the platinum used in the construction of catalytic converters for use in automobile exhaust systems. As prices increase for commodity materials, such as metals and plastics, and especially, copper, stainless steel and the like, there exists an increasing potential for theft of literally anything for purposes of selling the stolen goods for their scrap value. For example, outdoor air conditioner units having a heat exchanger coil and refrigerant compressor are increasingly becoming targets for theft due to the scrap value of the materials in these units. Theft of these units can occur at the homes and businesses and wherever such units or other items of value are accessible to thieves, only to be sold to recycling centers for their scrap value based on the weight of copper and other metal in the units, resulting in significant loss to the homeowner. Although security devices of all sorts are known to exist, none include security features coupled with easy installation, easy access to air conditioner components without having to remove the apparatus, and easy removal of the apparatus to make more invasive repairs or total replacement of air conditioner unit.
What is needed, therefore, is an anti-theft apparatus for articles having commodity materials that are increasingly being stolen and sold for their scrap value.